Contact information for the TRO's industry partnerships team, the Business and Innovation Group (B&IG).
B&IG Members:
- Head of Business and Innovation Group (recruitment underway)
Senior Business and Innovation Managers:
Research Networks and Partnerships Managers:
Anna Cupani

Senior Business and Innovation Manager - Data Science and AI
Email: a.cupani@ucl.ac.uk
Anna brings to the TRO years of international experience in research, in academia, industry and the public sector, paired with expertise in foresighting and facilitation techniques, communication and stakeholder engagement, as well as business development and research funding and management. She holds a degree in Chemistry, an MSc in Molecular Sciences and a PhD in Process Chemistry.
Anna's responsibility within the B&IG covers collaboration in the area of data science and artificial intelligence in translational research. She supports funding scoping and awards, promotes collaborations between UCL and external partners identifying the best people to involve, and facilitates workshops and project development.
Contact Anna if:
- You are a UCL academic with a data-rich project, looking for potential industrial partners to push forward your research
- You are a company with an interest in data science and its healthcare applications, willing to tap into academic expertise
- You are a non-for profit organization supporting healthcare research, interested in private-public partnerships
Catherine Perrodin

Senior Business and Innovation Manager
Email: c.perrodin@ucl.ac.uk
Catherine joined UCL’s Translational Research Office in 2024, as Senior Business & Innovation Manager. A biomedical engineer by training, she brings to her role 15 years of international research experience, with expertise in neuroscience, hearing disorders and the translational development of ATMP and small-molecule therapeutics. Catherine also has a track record of strategic partnerships, business development and research funding and evaluation.
Prior to joining the TRO, Catherine worked for RNID, the UK’s largest charity supporting people with hearing loss and tinnitus. In this role, she led the organisation’s translational research work to bring new treatments to patients, faster. She managed an international portfolio of investments aimed at de-risking early-stage drug development projects. She also designed the strategy and led the delivery and growth of the Hearing Therapeutics Initiative, a consultancy service and network connecting stakeholders across the global hearing R&D ecosystem.
Catherine holds a BSc and MSc in Life Sciences and Technologies from EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Switzerland, and a PhD in Natural Sciences from the University of Tübingen, Germany.
Get in touch with Catherine if:
- You are an academic based at UCL’s Faculty of Life Sciences, looking to engage with industry partners to develop a research collaboration
- You are a life science, biotech or pharma company interested in working with UCL researchers via a strategic alliance, joint research project, or knowledge exchange activity
- You are a not-for-profit organisation wanting to engage UCL in a consortium or strategic bid with industry
David Collier

Senior Business and Innovation Manager
Email: david.collier@ucl.ac.uk
David joined UCL’s Translational Research Office in 2022, as Senior Business & Innovation Manager for the Faculty of Population Health Sciences. He brings a wealth of expertise in biomedical research, business theory, academic:industry partnerships, and key account management.
Before joining UCL, David completed a PhD in Ca2+ overload during acute pancreatitis, split between University of Liverpool and RIKEN Tokyo. After a short post-doc at King’s College London, he moved to Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) as coordinator of a large observational trial of genetic risk factors for pituitary adenoma. He transitioned into QMUL BD (Health) team, where he was instrumental in developing the Knowledge Transfer Partnership portfolio, and in securing large grants through NIHR, NHSX and Innovate UK. He is currently completing a Global MBA at Bayes Business School, majoring in University:Company Innovation Ecosystems.
David holds a BSc in Biochemistry (Uni of Nottingham), a PhD in Cell & Molecular Physiology (Uni of Liverpool & RIKEN Japan), and an MBA (Bayes Business School).
Contact David if:
- You are based in UCL’s Faculty of Population Health Sciences and are looking to build industrial research collaborations.
- You are a company seeking to connect with UCL academics in Population Health, for joint research projects, service provision, or knowledge exchange.
- You are another academic or third sector organisation wanting to engage UCL in a consortium or strategic bid with industry.
Itse Onuwaje

Senior Business and Innovation Manager
Email: i.onuwaje@ucl.ac.uk
Itse joined UCL's Translational Research Office as Senior Business & Innovation Manager in 2024, bringing diverse expertise across biotech project management, entrepreneurship and translational research.
Before joining UCL, Itse worked at the interface of artificial intelligence and drug discovery, managing collaborative research projects between pioneering biotech start-ups and key stakeholders across the pharmaceutical industry, academia and CROs, to advance the discovery of novel small molecule drugs towards the clinic.
Itse’s journey into the realm of translational research and entrepreneurship began with a multi-disciplinary PhD at UCL School of Pharmacy, where she led research into the development of high-throughput 3D in vitro disease models for Alzheimer’s Disease drug discovery. Itse's innovative work during her doctoral studies led to her participation in the Conception X accelerator, which aimed to commercialise advanced neurodegenerative disease models through spin-out venture, In Neutro, highlighting her dedication to translating academic research into real-world impact.
Beyond academia, Itse is a passionate advocate for social impact and co-founder of House of Cinn, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering communities experiencing homelessness and poverty, which is strategically partnered with major retailers across the UK. Her multifaceted experience combines driving innovative partnerships, translating academic research and delivering societal impact.
Itse holds a BSc in Pharmacology and PhD in Neuropharmacology & Tissue Engineering from UCL.
Nicola Ridgway

Senior Business and Innovation Manager
Email: n.ridgway@ucl.ac.uk
Nicki joined the TRO in January 2022 after working as a Translational Research Manager at UCL’s Ear Institute and the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre Deafness and Hearing Problems Theme.
Before joining UCL, Nicki worked at a translational research centre at the University of Sheffield, writing grant applications and building relationships with industry. Her PhD investigated the residual chromatic processing abilities of patients with visual cortex lesions. After finishing her PhD, Nicki worked for a number of years on clinical trials evaluating interventions for mental health at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh before moving to work in industry. With experience of working across academia and industry, she is experienced in leading partner collaborations and negotiations.
Please contact Nicki if:
- You are based in the Faculty of Brain Sciences and have a potential industrial research collaboration.
- You would like advice on developing collaborations with industrial partners and strategic relationships.
- You are a company with an interest in collaborating with researchers across UCL.
Asha Recino

Research Networks and Partnerships Manager
(Biologics, Regenerative Medicines, Repurposing TINs)
Email: a.recino@ucl.ac.uk
Asha joined the Translational Research office as part of the Wellcome Trust Institutional Translational Partnerships Award. She manages the critical function of connecting academic researchers working in translational research across departments and with industrial partners. This work is done as part of the Therapeutic Innovation Networks (TINs), which are designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, partnerships, and strategic funding around key therapeutic modalities. These programmes support cross-disciplinary collaboration and resource-sharing for researchers. Additionally, Asha champions the infrastructure available to Early Career Researchers to pursue translational research. Her background in cancer immunology and diabetes, particularly her extensive experience in coordinating and leading an international insulin gene therapy project at the University of Cambridge, brings valuable expertise to this role. She is interested in the development of novel technologies and the translation of ideas between the academic and private sectors. Ultimately, she aims to help accelerate the global development of safe and effective novel medical therapeutics.
Contact Asha for:
- Opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships, and strategic funding within the TINs
- Innovative and tailored programmes to assist cross-disciplinary working and problem-solving related to the TIN community
- Support infrastructure available to ECRs for undertaking translational research
Nour AI Kafri
(on maternity leave)

Research Networks and Partnerships Manager
(Cell & Gene Therapy, Devices & Diagnostics, Small Molecules TINs)
Email: n.kafri@ucl.ac.uk
Nour joined TRO in March as a Research Networks & Partnerships Manager to support the Therapeutic Innovation Networks (TINs) under the @Wellcome Translational Partnerships Award. Her role focuses on building a thriving community through connecting UCL academic researchers and partnering with industrial partners around the therapeutic modalities of Devices and Diagnostics, Cell & Gene Therapies and Small Molecules.
Nour obtained her MSc degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and quality control from Damascus University. During her study, she worked at Novartis Pharmaceuticals as a senior product specialist and had 8 years of experience in pharmaceutical services and research. Nour obtained her PhD from the University of Portsmouth in 2020, and her PhD project focuses on finding novel target receptors for anti-cancer therapeutics. During her PhD, she gained considerable expertise in utilising a wide range of molecular biology techniques, also she took part in Cumberland Lodge in leading workshops and chairing panel discussions, proactively networking with leaders and influencers. After She worked as a research fellow at Swansea University with RBGO group then she worked as Business Manager at The Celtic Advanced Life Science Innovation Network (CALIN) at Swansea University, focusing on creating links between industry and the academic beneficiaries and maintaining the relationships to ensure the R&D projects achieve their operational delivery profile in Ireland and Wales.
Nour also holds an MBA degree from The Syrian Virtual University.
She used to be a volunteer in The Syrian Red Crescent where she took part in activities aiming at providing support for vulnerable individuals, as well as logistic and first aid services during times of crisis.
Contact Nour for:
- Opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships, and strategic funding within the TINs
- Innovative and tailored programmes to assist cross-disciplinary working and problem-solving related to the TIN community.
- Support infrastructure available to ECRs for undertaking translational research.
Jude Alwan (maternity cover)

Research Networks and Partnerships Officer
(Cell & Gene Therapy, Devices & Diagnostics, Small Molecules TINs)
Email: j.alwan@ucl.ac.uk
Jude joined the Translational Research Office (TRO) as a Research Networks & Partnerships Officer, supporting the Therapeutic Innovation Networks (TINs) at UCL. These networks bring together UCL’s research expertise to drive collaboration and innovation in life sciences. In her role, Jude maps expertise across UCL, partner hospitals, and industry within the Devices & Diagnostics, Cell & Gene Therapy, and Small Molecules TINs, facilitating connections between academics and external collaborators to advance research.
Jude also contributes to the management of translational funding opportunities, supporting early career researchers in translating discovery research into practical applications.
Jude holds an MSc in Neuroscience from UCL, where she researched a small molecule with therapeutic potential for various cancers, focusing on its effects on molecular and inflammatory pathways, particularly in the context of neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. This work provided her with valuable insights into therapeutics across a wide range of disease areas.
Prior to joining TRO, Jude worked as a research assistant at the Ataxia Centre at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. She contributed to validating therapeutic compounds from both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, working with cells derived from ataxia patients. In this role, Jude helped bridge the gap between academic research and the private sector, translating scientific discoveries into therapeutic applications.
Contact Jude for:
- Opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships, and strategic funding within the TINs
- Insight into how the TINs facilitate knowledge exchange and foster partnerships between UCL researchers and industry experts, helping to identify common challenges and provide solutions to accelerate translation.
- Innovative and tailored programmes to assist cross-disciplinary working and problem-solving related to the TIN community
- Support infrastructure available to ECRs for undertaking translational research